Israel operates a multi-tiered missile defense array, with the Arrow 3 currently the country\u2019s most advanced long-range missile defense system, meant to intercept ballistic missiles \u2014 like the kind fired from Iran \u2014 while they are still outside of the Earth\u2019s atmosphere.<\/p>\n
David\u2019s Sling forms the middle tier, and systems like Iron Dome engage short range rockets like those generally fired from Lebanon.<\/p>\n
\t Taking Iran\u2019s missile stockpile into account means the IDF prepared ahead of time with enough interceptors to handle the threat. Israel also prepared for the likely scenario that the Iran-backed Lebanese terror group Hezbollah would enter the war, as it did on March, 3, saying it was avenging the killing of Iran\u2019s supreme leader Ali Khamenei.<\/p>\n Hezbollah has since fired hundreds of rockets and drones at Israel, as well as at Israeli troops operating in the south of Lebanon.<\/p>\n Additionally, the officials said the IDF is actually running through fewer interceptors than it anticipated at this point in the operation.<\/p>\n Iran has launched around 300 ballistic missiles at Israel in over two weeks thus far, down from the 500 it fired at Israel during the 12-day war in June 2025.<\/p>\n During the June 2025 war, as well, the IDF denied repeated claims that Israel\u2019s interceptor stockpile was low.<\/p>\n The interception rate of Iran\u2019s ballistic missiles is high, according to the IDF, and at similar rates to the June 2025 war.<\/p>\n There have been multiple impacts in residential areas of Israel, including three ballistic missiles carrying Iran\u2019s conventional warheads of several hundred kilograms and around a dozen with cluster bomb warheads. Twelve people have been killed.<\/p>\n \t The military has routinely emphasized that, as good as Israel\u2019s multilayered air defenses are, they are not hermetic.<\/p>\n Late Saturday, the US news site Semafor<\/a> reported, citing US officials familiar with the matter, that Israel informed the US this week that it is running \u201ccritically low\u201d on ballistic missile interceptors.<\/p>\n The report claimed the US has been aware for months that Israel has a low capacity, adding that the US is not running low on interceptors of its own.<\/p>\n Additionally, the report claimed that Iran\u2019s launch of cluster munitions \u201cmay exacerbate the depletion of the stock,\u201d despite Israel\u2019s use of shorter-range air defense systems like the Iron Dome and David\u2019s Sling to shoot down the individual submunitions, rather than an anti-ballistic missile system.<\/p>\n Israel also uses the shorter-range systems to intercept attacks from Hezbollah in Lebanon, though the report did not say that Israel is running into a shortage of those interceptors.<\/p>\n \t Shortly after the publication of the report, the government approved the transfer of an additional NIS 2.6 billion (around $826 million) in budget funds to the Defense Ministry for \u201curgent and essential defense procurement\u201d amid the fighting in Iran and Lebanon. The vote was held by phone, late at night.<\/p>\n In a statement, the government said it will cut NIS 1.5 billion from the 2025-2026 budget for interest and commission payments, and take the other NIS 1.1 billion out of the 2025-2026 budgets of other ministries.<\/p>\n It said, however, that if the 2026-2027 budget is approved later this month, as scheduled, the NIS 2.6 billion will instead come from the Defense Ministry budget as normal.<\/p>\n The government voted last week on a revised version of the budget that boosted the Defense Ministry\u2019s funds by NIS 32 billion in light of the war with Iran.<\/p>\n Nava Freiberg contributed to this report<\/p>\n
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\n\t\tIllustrative: Israeli Air Force soldiers pose in front of an Arrow air defense system battery, in a photo issued by the IDF on June 26, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/F260314YA63-640x400.jpg\")
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\n\t\tPeople inspect the damage at the scene where a missile fired toward Israel caused damage in Lod, central Israel, March 14, 2026. (Yossi Aloni\/Flash90)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/F260309YA902-640x400.jpg\")
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\n\t\tAn Israeli missile defense system fires interceptions at missiles fired from Iran, as seen over central Israel, March 9, 2026. (Yossi Aloni\/Flash90)<\/p>\n
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